


the sword and the pen

by congratsyouvegrownasoul



Series: the only hope; or else despair [6]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Fire Nation Royal Family, Gen, Kid Fic, Ursa POV, look I wrote something fluffy!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-07
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-29 06:46:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10848639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/congratsyouvegrownasoul/pseuds/congratsyouvegrownasoul
Summary: “Uncle says that a master swordsman like Sifu Piandao could defeat an average firebender nine times out of ten."Zuko starts swordfighting lessons.





	the sword and the pen

“I don’t see why you need to learn how to fight with a sword, anyway,” Azula grumbles the night before Zuko’s first lesson. “You ought to focus more on your bending.”

“But what if I never get any good at bending?” Zuko asks nervously. “It’s good to have something to fall back on. My teacher isn’t a bender at all, and Uncle Iroh still says Piandao is one of the mightiest warriors he knows.”

Azula shrugs. “Is that so?”

“Uncle says that a master swordsman like Sifu Piandao could defeat an average firebender nine times out of ten. And yesterday I saw him spar with three guardsmen at once. It was amazing!” Zuko bounces up and down excitedly. “I can’t wait to start my lessons.”

Zuko’s been begging for swordplay lessons for years now, ever since Ursa had taken the children to see a performance of _Love Amongst the Dragons_ on Ember Island the summer he was six. Zuko had scoffed at the melodramatic romantic plotlines, but he’d been wide-eyed with excitement over the special effects and the fight choreography. Afterwards, he’d begun to play with toy swords, exhibiting an unexpected grace that would have shocked his firebending teachers.

After his eighth birthday recently, Ursa had finally decided he was old enough to start real sword training. After all, he’s been working on his firebending for years now, and that’s easily as dangerous. Besides, she trusts Iroh’s judgment in his selection of a teacher for Zuko. Any friend of Iroh comes highly recommended.

The master had had some reservations himself about instructing Zuko, he had confessed to her when they’d met for the first time after his arrival in the capitol earlier that week.

“I usually don’t teach children this young,” Piandao had explained. “But it would be an honor to instruct a member of Iroh’s family.”

Ursa had blinked at him for a moment, surprised. She had expected to hear something more like _a member of the Firelord’s family._ Somehow, Piandao’s alternate response makes her respect him more. It also reassures her. She worries sometimes about her children being spoiled by all the deference they’re often shown.

Thankfully, Ozai had not objected to her and Iroh’s plans—he’d just waved a hand dismissively and made her promise that this wouldn’t distract Zuko from his _real_ work. Ursa frowns, thinking about it. She may be just a young woman with no combat experience herself, but she can’t help but think that any sort of combat training would influence Zuko positively, would help him to be stronger and quicker on his feet.

Besides, this may come as a welcome relief for Zuko, stuck in a whirlwind of seemingly impossible firebending and tedious facts and figures of Fire Nation history—something he enjoys, and from what she’s seen of his play-fighting so far, something he’s good at. Ozai’s choices for the children’s firebending teachers tend to be more of the stern, shouting variety, and her son is too sensitive to cope with that style of training well. Sifu Piandao seems much more temperate. Ursa thinks this will be good for Zuko—that his new lessons may give him a much-needed dose of self-confidence.

It hurts her to see Zuko so anxious, to see him struggle to make his father proud. Perhaps it will help him to have something where he can learn on his own terms; where he’s not always expected to be the best, or judged when he comes up short.

* * *

 

 

The next morning, Zuko is awake before the sun, bouncing on his bed while swinging a toy sword and chattering happily all through breakfast. Azula rolls her eyes, delicately spooning up her own breakfast while Zuko hurriedly slurps his porridge.

But still, she chooses to join Iroh and Ursa on the training field’s veranda, to observe Zuko’s first lesson. She hides behind one of her schoolbooks, but her eyes keep darting over the top of the page, scanning her brother and the sword master.

After Zuko and Piandao have bowed politely to each other, Zuko comes springing back up, beaming.

“What are we starting with?”

Ursa can hear his enthusiasm all the way from the veranda.

“When do I get a real sword? Can I have two swords? Have you ever fought with two swords? Have you—”

The master raises a hand to cut him off.

“Prince Zuko, your first lesson is patience. We will work on balance and breath control.”

Ursa smiles behind her hand. Patience has never been one of Zuko’s strong suits.

Zuko’s face falls dramatically. “But I already practice that with my firebending!”

“And have you mastered it yet?”

Zuko shakes his head slowly.

“See? There’s always room for improvement. So we shall begin at the beginning.”

* * *

 

 

By lunchtime, Zuko is exhausted but still beaming. Iroh has had a table set up for the four of them in the gardens—Azula has long since grown bored with her brother’s lessons, and run off to join her friends.

Zuko sets his wooden practice sword down in the grass next to their table, as carefully as if it were a finely crafted heirloom like the one Piandao wears at his waist.

As they munch on roast duck and rice-flour pancakes, Zuko regales Piandao with questions about fights he’s been in—about how to forge a sword—whether he likes the capitol—basically anything under the sun. Zuko is usually shyer with strangers than his sister, so Ursa is pleased to see that Piandao has put him at ease in less than a day.

“What are you doing this afternoon? Maybe you and my uncle could spar and I could watch?” Zuko’s face lights up at the thought of watching two great warriors hone their craft.

Piandao laughs. “Racing around after you has tired me out, Prince Zuko. Besides, the palace gardens are so lovely. I have seen many things today that I would like to paint. Do you have any suggestions?”

Zuko’s mouth drops open.

“You’re going to _paint_?”

“Zuko, don’t be rude,” Ursa scolds gently. “Besides, _you_ like to paint with me.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t know warriors painted. Dad says art is for court ladies and little kids. I thought Sifu Piandao might agree.”

“Well, I don’t, with all respect to your father,” Piandao says carefully. “In my opinion, a man’s life is empty without artistic pursuits. And while swordplay can certainly be beautiful, it is not beauty for its own sake. Life is more than fighting—it’s also ink and flowers.”

Iroh claps his hands together.

“Well said, my friend.”

“Can I…can I show you some of the pretty spots in the gardens before my firebending practice?” Zuko asks, shy again. “Mom and I like to sit near the turtleduck pond. You could paint them!”

Piandao smiles at him. “Of course, Prince Zuko. Here, you are clearly the expert!”

Zuko looks down at his hands, but a small smile lights up his face.

 


End file.
